I talk to a lot of couples about the Emotionally Focused Therapy acronym A.R.E., which stands for Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Engagement. Basically, trust is built and relationships are strengthened when each partner is accessible (can be reached), responsive (pays attention and acts regardless of if the situation is good or bad), and engaged (is attuned and shows you that you are important and valued).
But nothing in Emotionally Focused Therapy says that the A.R.E acronym ONLY applies to couples. So, I'm thinking, why not apply that to individuals!?!? Kinda genius, right!?! I mean, after all, the most important relationship you have is the one with yourself!
But, let's be real, often we can stay busy, drink or do drugs, or numb out with food or TV or social media, or any number of things that make us unavailable to ourselves. We are unresponsive to ourselves when we deny our gut or judge our feelings or minimize our needs. And it's so easy to be disengaged with ourselves as we do life on auto-pilot without checking in with our gut or without considering goals and values!?!
So, here’s the challenge to you: be more Accessible, Responsive, and Engaged with yourself! A better relationship with yourself starts with taking a small step today!
Want to learn more about A.R.E in Emotionally Focused Therapy? I would love to show you how to put it in to practice. Reach out to me today.